1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the use of nucleoside 2',3'-dideoxycytidin-2'-ene (2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrocytidine) in treating patients infected with retroviruses, especially AIDS.
2. Background Information
The etiological agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ("AIDS") is a retrovirus called lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV) (F. Barre-Sinoussi, J. C. Chermann, F. Rey, M. T. Nugeyre, S. Chamaret, J. Gruest, C. Dauguet, C. Axler-Blin, F. Vezinet-Brun, C. Rouzioux, W. Rozenbaum and L. Montagnier, Science, 220, 868-870 (1983)) or human T lymphotropic virus III (HTLV III) (M. Popovic, M. G. Sarngadharan, E. Read and R. C. Gallo, Science, 224, 497-508 (1984)). Presently, the best evidence supports the concept that these are either the same virus or closely related variants (L. Ratner, W. Haseltine, R. Patarca et al, Nature, 313, 227-285 (1985).
2'3'-Dideoxycytidin-2'-ene was first synthesized by Horowitz et al. (J. P. Horwitz, J. Chua, M. Noel, J. T. Donatti, J. Org. Chem., 32, 817 (1967)).
Hiroaki Mitsuya and Samuel Broder, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 83, 1911-1915, March 1986, described the testing of purine and pyrimidine nucleoside derivatives, namely, 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides to attempt to inhibit the infectivity and cytopathic effect of human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III/LAV) in vitro.